Halfhearted Vengeance
by Oceanmegami
Summary: On the night when he thought he had lost everything, a woman walks up to him and offers him one thing: vengeance. Unbeknownst to him, a deep secret involving his relationship with the woman will also unfold...slightly AU, OOC-ness, yaoi, incest. KxZ/IxZ
1. Prologue: Bloodied Night Sky

**-Half-hearted Vengeance-**

~disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight…it belongs to Hino Matsuri-sama…

~random notes(?): LOL, I didn't expect that I'd write this story so soon! I mean, I haven't even finished my first VK fanfiction [_Playing Matchmaker_], yet here I am, writing another one! XD. Damn plot bunnies, they just won't leave me alone. XD. And to top it all off, I've already told my Katekyo Hitman Reborn fanfic readers that I won't be writing for a while…They'll probably kill me if they found out I've been doing this instead. XD

~summary: On the night when he thought he had lost everything, a mysterious woman walks up to him and offers him one thing: vengeance. Unbeknownst to him, a deep secret involving his relationship with the woman will also unfold along with the signing of their covenant…[Inspired by a short story I've read in a vampire story anthology book, although it is very much different…except for the theme of vengeance. XD]

~warnings: slightly AU, OOC-ness, violence, yaoi, incest…and the usual stuff you see in rated M stories. ;P

* * *

"_But now they are equal, if not in life, then in death;_

_the men have joined the women in their feast of fear,_

_eating the bread of suspicion and drinking the wine of terror._

_And blood runs rivers in the streets."_

--"Blood Feud" by C.W. Johnson

* * *

**Prologue: Bloodied Night Sky**

The night sky was blanketed with the deepest and darkest shade of the black. Only but a few stars hung loose from the heavens. And the moon—yes, the perfectly pallid moon—was staring down at all who dare stand beneath it; almost as if taunting anything and anyone that nothing could withstand its eerily hypnotizing splendor. But tonight was different. In the distant horizon, there stood a small white house; far from the suburbs. It stood tall and proud, despite its lack of magnitude—seemingly daring the moon to come down from where it is resting and to crush it to nothing but mere smithereens on to the ground. Looking closely at the said house, one might assume that it is but an ordinary building—except for the unusual quiet that surrounded it. This quiet might have been there for the very reason that nighttime was a time made for normal humans to rest and recuperate.

But that was not the case.

On the outside, nothing seems out of the ordinary or out of place. But on the inside, the distinct and unmistakable metallic scent of blood was heavily suffused with the air; the same dark liquid adorned the white-washed walls and flooded the wooden-tiled floor. The source of this supposedly life-giving elixir was two dead bodies—a man and a woman—which lay not far from the tall, arched doorway. The woman had long, honey-blonde hair held back in a modest ponytail, while the man had a shock of naturally-silver hair. There was no mistaking it; the two corpses were clearly identifiable as the Kiryuu couple. Their weapons were still clutched in their cold hands; showing that the two had desperately but unsuccessfully tried to defend themselves before the inevitable had happened. What was strange, though, was the fact that the bodies showed no sign of injury except for the single wound to their chests—precisely aimed at their hearts; almost as if someone plunged his or her hand inside and fiendishly took out the said organ.

The silence was then broken by a soft, pathetic and piteous sobbing. On the far end of the living room, a young boy of thirteen was kneeling on the carpeted floor. He has silver hair—a distinct trait of the Kiryuu family—eyes the color of silver mixed in with amethyst, and skin which could put shame even to the moon at its whitest form. Another boy lay on his lap with the same features as he; only paler due to the copious amount of blood he had lost. Tears began to fall on his cheeks once more as he held the limp hand of his younger twin. He felt helpless; pathetic, even. He could do nothing but watch as his other half die. What was worse, though, was the fact that his brother's eyes—deadened and glazed over—were hauntingly fixed upon his own; it was like looking into the mirror of the soul, except that the soul therein was now long gone.

_How could this have happened? _The resounding thought repeated over and over as he looked back at the events only but an hour ago. They were just going on about the daily routine of their family, which was no different than normal people's lives. They were just a happy, simple family. Well, except for the fact that they are vampire hunters. _But still…why this?_ True, as a vampire hunter clan they have expected that this event would inevitably come to pass; it is their destiny. To be hated back with the equal ferocity by the very beings they have deemed their enemies ever since the two opposing races have appeared on this world; to kill without questioning what the higher authorities have decided upon; and most of all, to live and die for the purpose of fulfilling what the blood that runs within their bodies that which was required and expected of them. It was a brutal and unseeing world—incapable of neither heart nor empathy. To put it simply, it was a blood-ridden life wherein the rules are as simple as kill or be killed.

It may have been a life strewn with blood and carnage, but to Zero, it was the only life he had known. It was the only path he had known to walk upon. It was where his happiness had been, despite of the brutality of it all. Yes, that's right. _It was._ But now…now there was nothing. Nothing he could do; nothing he could live for. He felt as if he were a puppet that had lost its strings—strings which gave it the life it needed to fulfill the purpose of its existence. If only he had died together with his family…Perhaps then, he wouldn't have needed to suffer this much pain…

Just as the thought of ending his misery crossed his mind, the front door of their house flung open with a force strong enough to shatter it into pieces. A beautiful woman in an elegant white kimono emerged and stood in front of the young boy. She has long silver hair and her pallid eyes betrayed the sadness her face refused to show. The air she carried around her was something unmistakably familiar to the young boy—the scent of a vampire; a pureblood to be more exact. She then knelt in front of him and tried to reach out her hand to touch his cheek—an act of reassurance, perhaps—but he just slapped it away with his hand; trying to be as rude as possible to this beautiful stranger. It was vampires who murdered his family, after all. Why should he even bother with another one trying to show him some kindness?

"Don't touch me, vampire! Why have you come here in the first place? To rub salt into my wounds or to finish what was started by your companions?" He then added, almost as silent as a faint whisper, "If it's the latter, I don't mind…Nothing means anything anymore…"

The woman suddenly enveloped him in a warm embrace, leaving him in surprise. He felt no hostility from her despite the words he had said. Somehow, she feels familiar, like a distant memory…

"No. You have it all wrong. The reason I came here was to warm you of the impending danger. But I was too late…I'm sorry…" She gently held his face in between her slender hands. "The only thing I can do right now is to take away your pain. I can give you what your heart want the most. It is deep, burning vengeance that you desperately want, is it not?"

"Yes…I want…I want to avenge my family…and myself." Zero now dare look into her red-tinted gaze with his own silver-amethyst one. He knew that he should be afraid, but there is something about this vampire…something he could not put a finger on…

"Tell me, my child. Is it truly what you seek? The path of vengeance comes with a price and it is not lightly taken by anyone. Knowing this, are you still willing to embrace it?"

"I do not care. Even if the price is my soul, I will never relent." He laughed mirthlessly. "If I have a reason to live, it is through revenge and revenge alone."

"Very well. But remember this: never _ever_ lose sight of the path you will now take." With that, she slid her hands free of the young boy's face and placed them upon his shoulders. Her tongue lingered on his pale neck for a moment before she slowly sunk her fangs and drew in his blood. She had always wanted this. Eight years is long enough. She had waited and waited for this moment. She had wanted him to live a normal life, but it was not to be…She convinced herself that this was for the best; that there had only been this option from the beginning. _At least this way, I…_

Zero let out a muffled scream as the fangs drew deep into his skin—into his jugular vein. The pain might have been overwhelming but the pressure he felt build up inside of his head was greater still. The moment that the vampire woman began to drink in his blood, a torrent of unbidden memories started to flood into his mind. Events that were once but lost into the passage of time flowed into him relentlessly, and he felt that he might lose his sanity then and there; just like a deranged madman. Then the pain was gone. Tears began to fill his eyes uncontrollably as the woman pulled out her fangs and held him in her arms. He now understood. He now remembers who this woman was; why she felt so familiar to him. Silently, he wrapped his arms around her as well, returning the embrace. _Yes, this woman…She is Hiou Shizuka, the pureblood princess, and his…_

"Mother." The word softly rolled from his tongue as he continued to cry on her arms.

"Hush now, my son." Shizuka said as she caressed the silver locks of her son which was identical to hers. "Soon, the world will have to pay its due; soon sweet vengeance will be ours…"

* * *

~end of prologue

Yay, I finally finished writing this in two days (without drafts)! XD. I know I should be working on my other fics right now, but I just can't resist not writing this. XD. I'll probably update this and my other VK fic around next week, probably…XD. Anyway, I hope you guys liked it! And please tell me what you think!! =3


	2. Chapter 1: Commencement

**-Half-hearted Vengeance-**

~disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight…it belongs to Hino Matsuri-sama…

~random notes(?): cheerio~! :D. Thank you very much to those who reviewed and added this to their story alerts! It was very much appreciated! ;D. And, yes, this is going to be a Kaname x Zero/Ichiru x Zero story, although it may take a bit longer to develop. Zero's top priority is "vengeance", so yeah…XD. Anyway, I apologize for the long wait…-bows-. I hope you will like this chapter! ;D

* * *

**Chapter 1: Commencement**

A pale, slender hand gently brushed against the soft, silver locks of the young man who lay in a bed of white roses encased within a dark, polished casket. The said young man looked nothing more but the tender age of seventeen; an ethereal glow graced his peaceful features; and the rhythmic motion of his chest moving upwards and downwards gave him the appearance of a sleeping work of art. To many, it seems as if the deep slumber he was in can be put off as nothing but natural…but no. It was not anything but natural. In truth, the silver-haired young man had been in this passive state for four years now—and still counting. The pale hand continued on its ministrations, until it found its way down to the young man's cheek and began to caress it gently. This hand belonged to another young man, who, strikingly, was the complete mirror image of the body that lay there.

A slight frown adorned his well-sculpted lips; whilst his pallid, silver-amethyst eyes held therein a mix of contradicting emotions—a feeling both of relief and remorse—as he silently watched the face of his younger twin. He no longer knows what to think nor what to feel; relief that his brother had survived, or remorse because he had been reduced to this state? Whichever it may be, he was, at least, sure of one thing: the voice coming from the back of his head which keeps on telling him that this was his to be blamed for. All those years ago, it was he—Ichiru—who decided to take the blow that was supposed to take his life. He could've stopped his brother, but what did he do instead? Nothing. That is what. He felt disgusted at himself. He was such a pathetic excuse of a person; unable to protect what was important to him.

It was quite fortunate that Shizuka had arrived before all was lost. A second too late and Ichiru would have really been gone. However, she was still too late to prevent him from falling into a deep coma from which they knew not when or if he will ever wake from. There was also the fact that the younger twin had been weak and fragile as a human, which will, inevitably, be a factor on whether or not he'll be able to recover from this fitful sleep. Sure, it was certain that purebloods can never be killed easily, but in his case, his vampiric nature—which includes his healing and regenerative abilities—had been sealed away for most of his life. His only saving grace was for him to be reawakened as the pureblood he really was. But doing so had its risks; considering that Ichiru was half-dead at the time. It was a gamble that their mother had taken. The die had been cast yet there is still no certainty if it was a win or a loss. Now all that's left is to wait and see, for only time will be able to tell.

Slowly, Zero pulled away his hand from his brother's cheek. He then retracted the said hand towards his mouth; just close enough for his lips to touch his wrist. His tongue darted out from his slightly parted lips and trailed along the expanse of his skin before he bit down and carefully—so as not to spill—drew in his own blood into his mouth. After he was satisfied that the amount was sufficient enough, he leaned in and pressed his mouth to his younger twin's; infusing with the other the life-giving elixir that was his pure blood. A trail of blood oozed down on one side of Ichiru's lips, which the other licked away after the transfusion. Zero continued to watch his brother's sleeping form; a gentle look in his eyes. It was the only thing he could do for him now; hoping that his blood might aid the younger vampire on his recovery.

Shizuka silently watched the scene unfold in front of her eyes. It wasn't an uncommon thing for Zero to do this. In fact, there had been countless of times wherein she had had to stop her older son from rendering himself blood-dry. She knew that his scars run deep; that he still blamed himself for his brother's condition. She could feel—she knows—that in every single day that had passed, the guilt inside of Zero grew deeper still. She had wanted to hold him; embrace him; reassure him that everything was alright—_will be_ alright. But something kept her from doing so. It was all because of one thing: she was the same, is she not? Yes, she was the same as her son; perhaps even far off. Truth to be told, she felt even guiltier than him. How could she not? She was, after all, the one responsible for bringing them into this chaos. Maybe…maybe if she had protected them better, they would never have had to suffer so much…

"_It is not your fault, Zero. If there was anyone to be blamed for, it is I and I alone…"_ Those were the words she had wanted to tell him, but her pride as a pureblood would not allow it. As one of her social standing, she could never allow herself to show any weakness. Even more so, now that she had been reunited with her children. They should never see this side of her. Her vulnerability. She has to be—needs to be—strong. If they see her so much as to break down, then how will they be convinced that she is the one they could lean on? There was also another reason why she still insisted on holding back. It was something she had tried to ignore for so long. It was a thought at the back of her head saying that perhaps her sons would start to hate her if they found out about the truth. Her heart aches every time it crossed her mind. That is the one thing that scares her the most; the possibility of being left by the ones she had cherished once the truth had been exposed. She then bit her lip. No. The truth should not be known; at least, until she felt it was the right time to do so. What matters now is what lay in front of them, and not the shadow that had been the past.

Zero turned his head as he felt the presence of his mother nearing. He wasn't that all surprised; he had expected it. For today was the day. The day they had been longing for. The day that they will commence that which had been put up for so long; the day they start their cold revenge on those who had caused their misery. Standing up, he took the offered hand and put his lips upon it; all the while exchanging a look of mutual understanding with his mother. Shizuka, in turn, kissed his brow; a gesture both of affection and of wishing him luck. However, before taking his leave, Zero cast one last meaningful look at his brother. _"I will make them pay for this, Ichiru. I promise…"_

* * *

A wave of unrest hovered among the students of the Night Class. Only but a few hours ago they had felt an unfamiliar presence—a pureblood vampire—arrive at the gates of Cross Academy. They knew that a new student was to arrive this day, but what they don't know was the fact that it was a Level A vampire. Who could it be? The same question was on their minds. Purebloods are very rare as only a few remained in existence. They had all familiarized themselves with all of the pureblood vampires, being Nobles that they are. But this one…this one was out of the question. That's why they could not help but wonder: Who and why had he or she come? And for what purpose? Surely it is for the headmaster's pacifist ideologies, is it not?

Whatever thoughts the students have been having at the moment were cut off as they heard silent—surprisingly quiet even to their sensitive ears—footsteps approach. Anticipation made itself known in the form of the loud thumping in their chests which was caused by every step the unknown pureblood took forward. Then the door slowly opened to reveal a young vampire who, according to his appearance, was about seventeen years of age. His hair was that of natural silver and his skin was of a complexion far fairer than any of the Night Class had ever seen even among their kind. Both his hair and skin seemed to emit a faint glow beneath the moonlight; giving an unearthly feel towards his appearance. What was most striking about his features, though, was a pair of silver-amethyst eyes which were being set off beautifully by the white uniform he wore.

Their professor was visibly tense as the new student walked up to him; towards the center of the room. He made an effort to open his mouth to introduce the silver-haired vampire, but a slender hand was raised in front of his face; silencing him. The said student just gave him a small smile before turning to the others to introduce himself. "I'd like to thank our professor here for his offer to announce my name, but I believe that it would be rather rude to not introduce myself personally."

"My name…is Hiou Zero."

* * *

~end of chapter

I've finally finished it after procrastinating for so long…XD. It's a wee bit shorter than the prologue, but I'll try to make the next chapters longer. XD. I hope you guys liked it! And please, _please_ do tell me what you think! X3. My Muse needs a little encouragement before continuing (she's been acting all tsundere lately and I have no idea why…XD).


	3. Chapter 2: Underlying Malevolence

**-Half-hearted Vengeance-**

~disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight...it belongs to Hino Matsuri-sama…

~random notes(?): I'm so sorry for the late update, classes just started last week, and I'm still adjusting to being in college. I also want to apologize for not being able to reply to your reviews…I'm kinda busy, but I'll try to reply whenever I can from now on! –shakes fist- X3 Okay, now here's chapter 2, please enjoy~! ;D

* * *

**Chapter 2: Underlying Malevolence**

A thin line of shock passed through the nobles as they heard that name; but none of them dare show it for fear of the consequences which may come along with doing so. After all, the Hiou line of purebloods was best known by its current princess—Shizuka Hiou—who had been declared as a lunatic by the Council of Elders. If this vampire really is what he claims himself to be…then who knows what he might do? But despite of their fear for this mysterious pureblood, ironically, they are still obliged to extend the full courtesy that is due to one of his social standing. Such is the world of vampires: full of contradictions and ironies. It is a world wherein the ones who inspire the most fear dominate and the only way to survive was to follow and respect those in power, no matter how begrudging it may seem.

Zero allowed himself a small smile at the Night Class' reaction towards him. He knew that what had caused the other vampires to react like this was because of his lineage as a Hiou; and not simply because of the fact that he is a Level A. Their family, after all, was one of the most famous lines of purebloods and, strangely enough, was as feared—if not more—as the well-respected Kuran clan of vampires. However, despite of the slight bout of triumph he felt, a bitter taste refused to leave his mouth as he could not fathom nor will he accept the way the rest of the vampire world treated his mother with such disdain. Shizuka had already told him that this was going to be the Night Class' reaction, yet he could not help himself but be angered by it. Unconsciously, he had clenched his fists in an attempt to put a reign on his temper. His nails had already started digging into his palm—almost enough to drew blood—before he was able to suppress the anger he felt and unclenched his fists.

After he had regained his composure, he began taking steps towards the seats; the action making the vampires flinch the slightest bit. Some of them, even, had formed a loose circle; almost as if protecting the vampire standing in their midst. As Zero was within eye-level with the said vampire, he put an abrupt halt to his footsteps, and took this time to carefully muster the other. The young vampire has dark brown, wavy hair which reached his shoulders; his smooth, unmarred skin was of a pale creamy color; his height was above average—perhaps a few inches taller than Zero; and the aura which surrounded him carries an unspoken elegance and seemed to emit an air that demands immediate respect. He was very handsome, to say the least, and stood out even among this room of extraordinarily beautiful creatures. He looked quite young, too; in fact, he looked no older than eighteen years of age. His eyes, though, was a different story; for they seemed to contradict with his youthful features: deep, wine-red eyes which seem to regard everything with an apathetic and calculating gaze—the eyes of a person with the vast knowledge and keen mind which was usually gained through years upon years of experience. This vampire, of course, was none other than Cross Academy's resident pureblood—Kuran Kaname—the last scion of the prestigious Kuran bloodline.

For a long minute, silver-amethyst eyes met wine-red ones, in a silent battle that only the two purebloods understood; an invisible struggle in which a fierce war for dominance was being waged. Neither of the two showed signs of relenting or giving in to the other, and for a second, the nobles thought that this staring match between their leader and this new pureblood would end up in bloodshed. Of course they would take the side of the Kuran prince if ever it were to happen, yet they knew that he would simply brush off their offer and would even see to it that those who dare disobey his orders were punished. Purebloods really are complex beings; denying themselves of that which are deemed as necessary by the vampires coming from lower stations. They could be described as irrational, even. Why do they make things harder for themselves as it already was? That's a thought that the vampires had pondered since long ago, when the hierarchy was formed.

Just as the tenseness of the Night Class students were becoming more obvious, Zero inclined his head—just deep enough to be polite—and addressed the other pureblood. "Kuran Kaname. It is an honor to meet you." However he maintained eye contact, as he had no intention of making the other assume that the brunette has won in any case.

"The same to you, Hiou Zero." Kaname acknowledged the other with a slight nod. "A question to you, though, if I may?"

"Of course." The silver-haired vampire said in response. "I'll try to answer it to the best of my abilities."

"I'll be frank with you; you see, I am quite curious. You said that you were a member of the Hiou Clan, but the records never mentioned any of its members other than Hiou Shizuka to be alive." The brunette said; an unreadable expression on his face.

A mask of indifference made its way to Zero's face, yet he replied in an even tone. "If you are asking as to whether I am a legitimate Hiou, I assure you that I am. If my physical attributes aren't proof enough of my lineage, I'll say this just once to alleviate any more suspicions regarding my identity: I am the son of Hiou Shizuka."

A long pause was made as the Night Class struggled to absorb the information. They knew that this was highly possible, yet to hear those words directly from the silver-haired vampire was still shocking. The silence was then broken by the voice of a blonde vampire with eyes the color of sapphires. "Pardon my bluntness, Kaname-sama, but he lies! If he really was Shizuka-sama's son, then the council should have notified it long ago!"

"I agree with Aidou, Kaname-sama." This time, a beautiful young woman with long chestnut locks stepped forward. "Besides, if he is what he claims himself to be, then he is a threat to us all in the academy; being the heir of the mad blooming princess."

If it weren't for the fact that they were insulting his mother, Zero would have applauded their bravado; no one had been, after all, brave or foolish enough to say such words with sheer disrespect in front of a Level A. The burning hatred he had successfully controlled earlier was starting to come back to him once more. Fear started rolling off from the Night Class students as they saw his silver-amethyst eyes flicker a menacing red.

Seeing that an undeniably horrible fate would soon befall his two subordinates if left unaided, Kaname decided to do what was the most appropriate course of action at the moment: he approached the two young nobles and slapped both of them—hard. Afterwards, he turned to face the silver-amethyst eyed young man. "I apologize for their rude behavior. I'll see to it that they are properly punished…or perhaps would you like to do so as you deem fit yourself?"

Zero closed his eyes for a moment; trying to even out his breathing. He had to admit though, that he was quite surprised that the Kuran prince had taken the initiative. Whether the brunette had done it for the sake of his own pride, he honestly did not care right now. Slowly, he opened his eyes—revealing that they had returned to their normal hue of silver-amethyst; albeit this time the silver was more dominant whilst the amethyst was subdued, giving his gaze a steely edge to it. "That is unnecessary, Kuran. Just see to it that it doesn't happen again next time. To insult me is one thing; but to openly disrespect my mother is something I would not tolerate."

He then looked at the two nobles—Aidou and Ruka—and said, "Be thankful that I am as 'mad' as you claim me to be. Otherwise, the two of you would no longer be standing here right now." The way the silver-haired vampire said it was in a low, flat tone—almost devoid of any emotion; yet one could not possibly miss the iciness hidden beneath those words.

"Aidou, Ruka, the two of you will come see me in my rooms right after class." The brunette then turned to the rest of the students. "All of you, please proceed back to your respective seats." To the professor, he said, "Please do continue with the lesson."

* * *

Zero watched the rest of the Night Class bemusedly from where he was sitting. He chose the furthest seat located at the back of the classroom; both for his love of solitude and so that he could keep an eye on the other vampires. Not a single movement escaped his scrutinizing gaze, and the others could feel the hairs at the back of their neck rise at the unmistakable sensation of a pureblood vampire watching their every move. Even their professor was intimidated; which was quite evident with the occasional break in his voice whenever his eyes accidentally locked with those of Zero's.

"_How wonderful it would be if the Council of Elders was this easily intimidated; it makes our goal much easier…"_ The silver-amethyst eyed vampire thought; not really listening to their lesson. _"But then again, how could we relish our vengeance when it is too easily claimed? Those miserable fools deserve not a quick and painless death; rather, they should suffer tenfold that which they had inflicted upon us, and to die a slow, agonizing death."_

An image of his younger twin Ichiru lying motionless in that dark casket briefly crossed his mind. Remembering his brother's face only made the seething rage he had nursed for so long to burn higher. He unconsciously fisted his hand lying on his lap. _"Yes, that's right; it is the reason why I had gone this far with mother in order to carry out our revenge…"_

His thoughts were cut short as he heard the voice of their professor—which sounded quite relieved—announcing that classes were over. The other students, too, seemed to be rather eager to leave the classroom this time. As Zero made a move to stand up from his chair, the nobles once more fell into silence; they even went out of their way as the silver-haired pureblood descended down the platform, towards the door.

"Zero." The melodious voice of Kaname Kuran pierced through the silence. "Just what is your reason for coming here at Cross Academy?"

The younger pureblood glanced at the brunette and gave him a mysterious smile. "The same reason as to why you're here." With that, he left the Kuran prince to ponder what those words had meant.

* * *

The tenseness that loomed over the entire Night Class disappeared right after Zero had left. All of them were rather unsettled with regards to the arrival of the new pureblood. That is, all except for one: Shiki Senri. He was one of the youngest vampires enrolled at the Night Class; his distinct traits were his reddish-maroon hair, pale sky-blue eyes and his seemingly indifferent personality. Nothing seems to disconcert the young model, and this time was no exception. In fact, he looked less aloof than usual—quite the opposite of the others' behavior—as his seatmate and close friend Ichijou Takuma, a happy-go-lucky noble who also happens to be the Vice-President of the Night Class and Moon Dormitory, had noticed.

"Shiki?" Takuma asked the red-haired vampire as he saw his gaze trailing after the leaving form of the silver-amethyst eyed pureblood. "Is something the matter?"

"…no." The model replied, barely audible. "It's just…no, never mind…"

"Uhm, okay. If you say so..." The emerald-eyed vampire decided to leave it like that and put it off as nothing. _Maybe he's just as affected as the others…_

* * *

"Would you care to explain your actions earlier?" Kaname asked his two subordinates who stood side by side in front of his desk, placed at the center of his study.

"I meant what I said, Kaname-sama." Aidou was the one who spoke first. "We have no proof as to whether or not he is the real thing."

"Kaname-sama, please listen to us. His very presence is a threat to us all!" Ruka added.

"Your reasons might have been justifiable, but it doesn't change the fact that you had openly challenged a pureblood." The Kuran prince stated; is gaze never leaving the two nobles. "No one had been foolish enough to try what you just did this evening."

Both vampires started to protest and to voice out their justifications on the matter, but the pureblood just sent them a look which resembles a faint glare. "Only severe punishment awaits those who dare insult Level As, regardless of social standings. It is a law in our society which doesn't discriminate on whom it applies to. The two of you were very lucky indeed that Hiou Zero had decided not to pursue it. Otherwise, you would have ended up as mere dust. I hope you have learned your lesson and never repeat the same act again. Starting tomorrow, both of you will undergo tight probationary measures."

"You may now leave." Was the final phrase he said as he dismissed a sullen-looking Aidou and Ruka.

"Aren't you overdoing it a bit, Kaname?" Takuma spoke up; he had been watching the entire scene silently at the far corner of the room.

"Believe me, Takuma; the punishment I gave those two was far from being overdone." The brunette told the Vice-President as he absently toyed with a chess piece—the black knight—between his long fingers. "If I were the one who had been insulted like that…I guess it's safe to say that they'd no longer be among the living."

The blonde vampire was silent as he heard those words fall from Kaname's lips; almost as if he were expecting the other to say that it was just some sort of terrible joke. But when he saw that look in those wine-red eyes…He knew that the other was being serious with what he had said.

"Takuma, I have a favor to ask you." Kaname's eyes met the emerald ones of the noble in front of him. "I want you to find what you could about Hiou Zero."

"Of course, Kaname." He almost raised his eyebrow at this request, but decided not to comment on it. He then bowed quickly and left the pureblood alone in his study.

"_Hiou Zero. You truly are an enigma."_ The Kuran prince placed the chess piece he was holding—almost delicately—back down on its board. _"I do not know what your intentions are, but for now, I'll play along with your little game."_

* * *

Royal purple sheets softly caressed the silken silver locks of Zero as he lay down on his large bed, which was fit enough for a king. The room that the other vampires had given him in the Moon Dormitory was just as elegant and expensive-looking as Kuran Kaname's; showing how those who are lower in the hierarchy treated the purebloods as if they were made of gold. He almost snorted at the thought. Even though he was a pureblood vampire by nature, his upbringing as a human is telling him that such extravagance is very much unnecessary. In truth, he wanted to refuse the room which was offered to him in favor of a simpler one, but he thought that the nobles might take it as an insult on their part. Besides, he'd much rather remain on good terms with the Night Class. Angering them would make his goal much harder to attain; thus putting his mission into possible jeopardy.

"_Zero, in order to start our plan, it is necessary for you to enter the Night Class at Cross Academy." Shizuka told his eldest son as they started to make arrangements with regards to their revenge._

"_Why? Couldn't we just use force? Surely, even the elders could not stand up to us, could they?" Zero looked at his mother; a hint of puzzlement and curiosity in his eyes._

"_True, we could simply overpower them, but that is quite a hard feat to do if we were to remain discreet about it." The Hiou princess couldn't help but smile at her son; Zero can be so childish with his reasoning at times, even though he is a pureblood. "If you were to enter Cross Academy as a student, the Council of Elders will inevitably hear of your existence."_

"_Wait, isn't that a bad thing? We could be easily found out if I do."_

"_Ah, but you see, if word about you reaches the council, they'd definitely keep a close eye on you. Your actions may become a bit restricted, but there is a huge merit to it if done correctly…"_

_Sudden realization hit Zero as he understood what his mother had meant. "What you're saying is that in order for us to get close to the enemy is that first we must make them do the first move, and then we strike. Am I right?"_

"_Yes, you are indeed correct." Shizuka nodded. "But there is another reason as to why I wanted you to be in the academy. It is because it is where the Kuran prince is to be found. He will prove useful in our plans, for he has the same intentions as we do."_

_The younger pureblood wasn't sure if he wanted to share his kill with someone else, but this was something that has to be done no matter what. Besides, considering the fact that they had limited options, this was the safest one they could come up with. "A clever ploy, and a crazy one at that…but I must admit, I like it." He sent his mother a smirk._

_Shizuka just shrugged her shoulders and gave a smirk of her own. "They don't call our family mad for no reason at all."_

Zero closed his silver-amethyst eyes as he remembered. He thought about how ironic it was; the two of them laughing at their misery. Ah, if only it were as simple as a joke then perhaps they wouldn't have needed to be like this. Hatred had already wormed its way within their hearts at what the world had inflicted to them—making it impossible for them to turn back now; not that they really had any intention of doing so. But he couldn't help but wonder: what could their life had been if it weren't for that bloody night four years ago? The young pureblood violently shook the thought away. He could not afford to be weakened by such pathetic 'what ifs'. He mustn't dwell on it, for he might start forgetting his reasons for coming here—and that was the last thing he would ever want to do.

* * *

~end of chapter

I think this chapter ended up being a bit off and confusing. XD;; I'm sorry if it took a while for me to update, but I made it longer than my usual chapters, so I hope that that makes up for it. XD;; Please tell me what you honestly think about this chapter…I might rewrite it in the future, as I am not very pleased with the weirdness of it. XD;;

**EDIT** [6/26/09]: corrected two typos I missed earlier. XD;;


End file.
